Where does “desu” come from?
desu (English) comes from Japanese です, from Japanese である, from Japanese で, from Japanese ぜ, from Japanese ぞえ, from Japanese え, from Middle Chinese 衣.
desu (English): 2002 March 20, Mahoronyan , “Re: I was wrong...
Definitions
- 2002 March 20, Mahoronyan , “Re: I was wrong...
Ancestry of “desu”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | です | form of to be |
| 2 | Japanese | である | To be: the copula, with the same function as だ and its polite form です |
| 3 | Japanese | で | at; with, by, using; indicating the following... |
| 4 | Japanese | ぜ | sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis,... |
| 5 | Japanese | ぞえ | sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis, used to lightly press one's point, with affectionate overtones |
| 6 | Japanese | え | Alternative form of い |
| 7 | Middle Chinese | 衣 | — |